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Tuesday, 17 February 2026
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Written by Tara Kamiya
Community and celebration are coming together in a way Fayetteville has not experienced in nearly two decades. On Sunday, Feb. 22, residents will gather for a lively Sunday Funday event at The Sand Trap Lounge before heading to the Crown Theatre for the nationally touring production of Menopause 2 The Musical: Cruising Through The Change.
This collaboration marks the first time in nearly 20 years that Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper has partnered with an out-of-town promoter—signaling a new chapter for community-driven entertainment in Cumberland County.
The partnership brings together The Sand Trap Lounge, the Crown Theatre/Oak View Group, event promoter Roberts Group Live, and Up & Coming Weekly in a coordinated effort to expand Broadway quality entertainment offerings in the region. This event reflects the type of creative cooperation that is essential in the Fayetteville area, where marketing and promotion are challenging.
Unlike other North Carolina metropolitan areas, Fayetteville does not have a local television station. Without a TV station, the community lacks a true media nucleus dedicated to covering local news, events, arts, and entertainment. This creates significant challenges for local businesses and out-of-town promoters trying to market and brand themselves effectively—making community partnerships even more essential when bringing major productions to local audiences.
Crown Coliseum General Manager Seth Benalt is an integral part of this partnership. He has spent years building relationships with show promoters and strengthening grassroots outreach to connect Cumberland County residents with performances that resonate with the community. He oversees the management of the 10,000-seat Coliseum, Arena, Theatre, and Expo Center, focusing on venue operations, event experiences, and strategic partnerships.
The Roberts Group Live is promoting the Menopause 2 production and has created a unique collaboration with Up & Coming Weekly, which founder Bill Bowman describes as a “hyper local publication” focused on local news, views, entertainment, arts and culture, and profiling the people and businesses that shape the region. This partnership represents a milestone for Up & Coming Weekly, which has served Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, and Cumberland County as a free community newspaper for 30 years. The publication is distributed every Wednesday at more than 350 locations across the county and Fort Bragg.
The pre-show Sunday Funday gathering will take place from noon to 2:15 p.m. at The Sand Trap Pub, 1514 Purdue Drive. The Sand Trap is a well-established neighborhood bar that has been part of Fayetteville’s social scene for more than three decades.
Guests can expect gourmet food catered by Two Brothers Catering, a wine tasting, music, and dancing in a relaxed atmosphere that encourages social interaction and community engagement. Gifts and door prizes from community-minded businesses—including Renaissance Day Spa, Rocket Fizz, and Hinkamp Jewelers—will also be part of the celebration.
Hinkamp Jewelers has served Fayetteville and the surrounding areas for decades and remains a family-owned business with deep community ties. Owner Wally Hinkamp, who took over in 2000, continues the family tradition of supporting local events and organizations.
Natalie Spencer, owner and creator of Renaissance Day Spa and Alternative Wellness, also brings a strong community presence to the event. The award-winning Purdue Drive location is the original home of the spa, designed to balance tranquility with social connection. Natalie recently opened a new location on Skateway Drive featuring an enclosed outdoor patio, landscaped gardens, ponds, fountains, and an outdoor lounge designed as a retreat for relaxation and luxury.
Following the festivities at The Sand Trap, guests will travel to the Crown Theatre for the 3 p.m. performance of Menopause The Musical 2. The sequel to the long-running hit continues the story of four women who first met while shopping and now set sail on a cruise. The production blends humor and familiar songs to explore friendship, aging, and shared life experiences.
The show has developed a strong following among women and multigenerational audiences. Mothers, daughters, and friends often attend together, creating an entertainment experience that doubles as a shared social outing. Its combination of comedy, music, and relatable storytelling has helped build a national fan base.
Bringing a nationally touring production to Fayetteville provides both cultural and economic benefits. Events at the Crown Complex attract visitors, support local restaurants and businesses, and strengthen the region’s reputation as a destination for entertainment and community gatherings. This collaboration also highlights the role of local media in connecting residents and businesses with opportunities for engagement. Up & Coming Weekly is a strong advocate for this grassroots approach to successful marketing.
The Sunday Funday event and theater performance are being promoted through radio and community outreach, reinforcing the importance of coordinated local marketing efforts. The initiative reflects a unified approach among partners working to expand entertainment and business opportunities in the region.
Tickets for the Sunday Funday celebration and the performance are available as a package for $75 on Eventbrite at https://bit.ly/4rzBG8c. More information is available at 910 391 3859.
The Sunday Funday celebration will take place Sunday, Feb. 22, from noon to 2:15 p.m. at The Sand Trap Lounge, followed by the 3 p.m. performance at the Crown Theatre. The event offers residents an opportunity to enjoy an afternoon of socializing, entertainment, and community engagement—while showcasing a model for future marketing collaborations in Cumberland County.
See you there!
(Photo: Menopause The Musical 2: Cruising Through ‘The Change’® New Hope 2023 Cast from left to right: Kimberly Ann Harris, Teri Adams, LaDonna Burns, and Katie Karel. The production will be part of Sunday Funday. Photo by Mark Garvin)
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Tuesday, 10 February 2026
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Written by Anna White
“I feel like a big page in my life was turned starting in 2020—bigger than any other page I ever remember,” Grant contemplated. Of all the changes between her last Fayetteville concert in 2010 and her upcoming Feb. 20 concert, changes heralded by the COVID-19 pandemic stand out in her mind. They left her more invested in her passions than ever, and now, on the cusp of a special announcement.
2020 wrote unexpected chapters into lives across the nation and world. For Grant, it was both a challenge and an opportunity. It was also the first in a series of abrupt events.
Over the last six years, Grant has undergone open heart surgery for a congenital heart defect, suffered a head injury from a bike accident that required a long recovery and left her with memory recall issues, and had several additional surgeries. Yet, she keeps moving forward with measured intention, and Feb. 20 marks more than her return to Fayetteville.
“I am starting to promote some new music, and Feb. 20 is the day that the second song from that project is going to come out,” Grant shared. “We're also going to announce the name of my new record.”
One song from the record, “The 6th of January (Yasgur’s Farm)” is already available on streaming platforms. Grant says the second song is titled “The Me That Remains,” and attendees at her Fayetteville concert will be among some of the first to hear the new release live.
The challenges and opportunities of 2020 started with quarantine orders. Only two shows into that season’s tour, Grant’s remaining shows were canceled.
“For somebody whose livelihood and work is done in spaces where people gather, that was a huge change,” she recalled. On the other hand, the upended plans and extended quiet time gave Grant space to rediscover the beauty and therapeutic quality of songwriting.
“Songs don’t just fall out of the sky,” she said of her new album. “You have to sit in the quiet and go ‘What do I have to say?’” She doesn’t consider herself a prolific songwriter and instead tends to write inspired by lived experience. The process requires practicing contemplation, a natural fit with the pace of life Grant already prefers. “I try to live in the present,” she shared. With life’s rhythms upended by the pandemic, she leaned further into contemplation.
“You know, I started writing when I was 15, and I just did it to help process my thoughts and to remember different experiences,” she shared. Those early songwriting sessions were what she calls the “juvenile version” of her current creative process. Following quarantine, surgeries, and accidents, she spent time in recovery, even noting that post-pandemic, everyone seemed to be in recovery-mode. Grant found herself laying hold of the same songwriting toolkit from her youth, but this time, intentionally. “Oh my gosh, this is good medicine!’” She remembers thinking as she immersed herself.
“I write a song when something has impacted me—an experience or a conversation,” Grant pinpointed. That heartfelt impetus not only underscores her songwriting but also keeps her collaborating. “The best part for me was just writing the songs—or finding the songs—and the experience of creating the music together in community with other musicians,” she said. “You just realize the power of music again, and it’s such a good thing.”
Grant says she’s noticed not only her own, but other people’s thought processes changing since 2020. She thinks people started reevaluating their priorities.
“I don’t think any of us take anything for granted anymore,” she explained. “We realize the things that matter and the things we kind of have to fight and stand up for.”
Her own priorities have redoubled towards helping people be “in real time.” The goal is to encourage and energize her audience. She sees a connection between cellphones and anxiety, and wants to ground listeners in the unfiltered experience of live music.
“I tell people, when you buy a concert ticket, you’re paying for every mistake you hear. This is real people trying their best and sometimes it's a swing and a miss, but it’s real,” she shared. “If nothing else, it’s two and a half hours that we’re not looking at a screen. You’re not going down some rabbit hole that’s going to make you compare yourself to somebody else.”
Part of preparing a concert program includes “deep-diving” into prior concert catalogs and paying attention to which of her songs are most listened to. Knowing some fans attend her concerts every time she’s in town, she wants to make sure they never hear the same concert twice.
“Maybe 10 songs need to be the same, but the other 14, they should change,” she explained. Each song is thoughtfully chosen so that, according to Grant, audience members think, “Oh my gosh, I haven’t heard that one!” or “That reminds me of high school!”
“I feel so grateful that somebody takes their hard-earned money and their valuable time—I mean, time is really our currency—and they say ‘I want to spend an evening with you and your music,’” Grant said.
From the audience, fans sense her intentionality.
“I had no idea how much energy, talent, and audience appeal she had,” said Michael Fleishman, attractions director for Community Concerts, the Fayetteville nonprofit that facilitated her 2010 and upcoming concert. “I remember thinking [in 2010], ‘We’ve got to have her back.’”
Community Concerts, founded in 1935, is Fayetteville’s oldest art organization. Fleishman noted that Grant’s 2010 visit coincided with the nonprofit’s 75th season. Her 2026 visit coincides with their 90th season.
“Here we are at another landmark season,” he shared. “The audience is in for a real treat.”
Working closely with the Crown Complex, Community Concerts continue their long-standing legacy of bringing history-making artists to the Fayetteville area.
“We work together to make every show we can a first-class event,” said Fleishman of the Crown Complex. Gary Rogers, director of marketing at the Crown Complex, called Grant’s concert “a rare chance to experience a legendary artist in an intimate setting,” and celebrated the shared commitment to high-quality, diverse artistry that keeps the Crown Complex and Community Concerts in partnership.
Fleishman recalled the many artists Community Concerts has brought to Fayetteville over the decades. He says they cherish the touching memories made with each other, and Grant is no exception.
“Of all the artists I've met over the years, she’s right at the top of the list in terms of being a genuinely good person. I can’t say enough nice things about her,” he enthused. “You’re looking at a 6-time Grammy winner and a show I guarantee you’ll love.”
After a night of music, Grant hopes people walk away feeling energized on the inside and hopeful through hardship.
“If a song can help you wrap your arms around your own life, it can help you see yourself in the context of your community and the world,” she shared. “It can remind us of things we don’t necessarily talk about all the time, like the love that undergirds all of life.”
Amy Grant performs “Take a Journey Through Songs, Stories, and Memories” Feb. 20 at the Crown Theater. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.crowncomplexnc.com/events/detail/amy-grant or by calling the Crown’s box office at 910-438-4100. The Crown Coliseum is located at 1960 Coliseum Dr.
(Photos courtesy of Oak View Group and Community Concerts)
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